PROJECTED LINEUP: Nugent-Hopkins out for Tuesday's home opener vs. Canucks

EDMONTON, AB – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be unavailable for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday because of an injury as they get set to open their 2026-27 NHL season at Rogers Place against the Vancouver Canucks.

"It sucks," Connor McDavid said. "Obviously, you want as many guys healthy as you can right off the get-go, but it's just something minor, so we'll have to do it without him."

The longest-tenured Oiler was in line to begin his 16th season wearing Blue & Orange tonight before he left practice early on Monday with a lower-body injury, which will keep No. 93 out for potentially up to two weeks.

"Anytime someone leaves practice, you always get a little bit nervous," Head Coach Mike Babcock said. "When they tell me day-to-day, that usually means two weeks."

Having spent the entire Training Camp & Preseason with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together on the top line, Nugent-Hopkins' absence could lead the coaching staff to decide to split the two elite talents across the first and second forward units.

"The bottom line is that injuries, in my opinion, are just an excuse, and you find ways to learn about your team," Babcock said. "You just got to figure out how to play it, so we're going to figure it out."

Without Nugent-Hopkins, Babcock sees the vacancy as a chance for someone to step up and fill the versatile shoes of the Oilers' assistant captain, who plays big minutes at even strength and holds pivotal roles on the power play and penalty kill.

The bench boss will be on the lookout for someone ready to step into those roles, starting with Vasily Podkolzin filling in for Nugent-Hopkins on the top power play.

"You can look at it that way, or you can see opportunity for other people," Babcock said. "So I'm just gonna watch, and they're gonna decide, and we might find a penalty killer, or we might find a power play guy."

"That's what happens when these things go on, and you think you don't have somebody, and then suddenly you got somebody you didn't even know you had. So here we are. We're preparing for the game tonight, and we're gonna play hard."

McDavid said that he's excited for Podkolzin to join the top power-play unit, with the Russian serving as another physical presence alongside Hyman, who can help win pucks back, keep possession and work the blue paint.

"I think our power play always does our best work when we win pucks back and get those second and third chances," McDavid said. "Podzy obviously does that better than most.  So yeah, he'll work the pucks back and be a good net front presence."

Coach Babcock provided updates on Frederik Andersen, Mattias Janmark, Matt Savoie and Jason Dickinson, with both Andersen and Janmark still facing long-term absences that could stretch out until December.

Savoie was facing an eight-week absence in late August (four weeks ago), while Dickinson hasn't quite been able to push the pace this Training Camp & Preseason and remains "a bit away" from returning, says Babcock.

Tristan Jarry was named tonight's starter by Babcock after yesterday's skate.

The Oilers' final lines and D pairings will become clear during tonight's warm-ups.